U.S. veterans have honed good skills applicable in many industries and that’s why CCIM Institute is uniting with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to offer vets its rigorous commercial real estate professional education funded through the GI Bill.
The new CCIM Vets in Real Estate Program aims to expand the career opportunities for vets at top commercial real estate firms such as Marcus & Millichap, Ten-X, and Colliers International.
As members of the CCIM Institute Advisory Council, these companies are developing a bonafide path to gainful employment for CCIM-educated vets in the profession.
“CCIM courses will give vets an immediately applicable body of practical knowledge to launch their careers in commercial real estate,” 2016 CCIM Institute President Steven Moreira, said. “We are working with several high profile firms to help vets find good career opportunities and assist their successful entry into the commercial real estate profession. Additionally, this opportunity is not exclusive to large firms. We are reaching out to local and regional firms as well that are looking for new hires. The vets have sacrificed for us, now it’s our turn to help them.”
Currently, CCIM Institute has about 125 students who are veterans. Over time, this initiative is expected to significantly boost that number. For the launch of CCIM Vets in Real Estate Program, vets are approved to take CCIM courses at the Levine Center at CCIM Institute headquarters in Chicago. Students who are vets may apply for stipends to pay for transportation, hotel, and meals. As the program evolves, the Institute will look to secure approval of more classroom locations nationwide.
“At Ten-X, we are always looking for ways to invest in strategic talent pipelines, and we view our nation’s veterans and their loved ones as one such talent channel,” Chris Galy, chief people officer at Ten-X, said. “Partnering with CCIM Institute to build a deeper bench of self-motivated, highly dependable, and dedicated service members is a huge opportunity to fuel our future growth. This just isn’t about supporting veterans. It’s great business.”
